The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

MAGA: "Trump had the best economy ever in his first term and it's even better in his second!" Me: Trump was the first president since Herbert Hoover, in 1933, to leave office with fewer jobs than were present when he entered it. The past three months have equaled the lowest job-creation in such a span since, wait for it, COVID. MAGA: "Fake news! Fake numbers!" Me: :: I provide evidence to prove they're accurate :: MAGA: "Whatever. It's Congress that determines jobs anyway, not the president. Besides, Trump got bad economies from both O'Bummer and Slow Joe!" Me: I thought you said presidents don't determine jobs, so how can Obama or Biden be responsible for the economies Trump inherited? MAGA: "But that's different." Me: How so? Regardless, you've got things backwards. Obama inherited the largest recession since the Great Depression. Biden inherited the worst pandemic since the Spanish flu. Guess what? Both left Trump w...

I've previously broken down, via the Bureau of Labor statistics, how much better the economies were and are under Presidents Obama and Biden than it was under Donald Trump. At this, the only response I've received from Trumpers is: "COVID! Trump had the best economy in history until COVID and all the jobs under Biden are just the ones which were lost during it! COVID! COVID! COVID!" Never mind the fact Trump ignored the worst pandemic since the Spanish flu for roughly a month and millions more lives would be significantly/permanently impacted as a result, but I digress. I'll play their game. Donald Trump was in office for 3 years before COVID struck the U.S. Here were the jobs numbers by year: 2/17-1/18: 2.031M 2/18-1/19: 2.395M 2/19-1/20: 1.983M Total: 6.409M Let's contrast that with Obama's final 3 years in the Oval Office: 2/14-1/15: 3.011M 2/15-1/16: 2.634M 2/16-1/17: 2.440M Total: 8.085M In other words, nearly 1.7M more jobs were created in Obama'...

Just the other day, I saw this tweet: "Why I’m voting for Donald Trump in 2020: - 4 million+ new jobs - 400 miles of Wall Built - 450,000 new manufactuing jobs - Biggest tax cuts in history - Median household income highest ever - 3.9 million Americans off food stamps It’s not about politics. It’s about results!" As I started to continually see this very tweet posted by numerous individuals, I soon realized the tweet had gone viral and it was time for me to research its claims. Here's what I found... "4 million+ new jobs" While it's true that over 4 million jobs have been created in "President" Trump's first 28 full months in the Oval Office, that doesn't tell the whole story. Here's the breakdown: In Donald Trump's first 28 full months as "president," 5.4 million jobs have been created. In Barack Obama's final 28 full months as president, 6.171 million jobs were created. In other words, Donald Trump...

Since Donald Trump has enjoyed talking up the economy since he entered the Oval Office, often declaring he's done a great job and the economy is the best it's ever been due to him, I thought I'd dig a little deeper into such claims. I looked at the beginning and end of terms for each of the past four presidents, three of which spent eight years as Commander-in-Chief. Only time will tell if Trump joins that club alongside Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. First, I looked at the average number of monthly jobs each of the four presidents created in their first two and last two years of their 8-year tenures, with the only exception being Trump, as he's been in office for just a little over 2 years to this point. Here's how those numbers break down, from the most average number of monthly jobs gained to the most average number of monthly jobs lost. Jobs Per Month 1) Clinton (01/94 - 12/94): +321,000 2) Clinton (02/99 - 12/99): +279,364 3) Clinton (02...

For whatever reason, the release of the latest jobs report has Donald Trump and his supporters breakdancing at a roller rink. For May 2018, it's being estimated that 223,000 jobs were added and that the unemployment rate has dropped to 3.8%. Those are both very good numbers, but while I'm sorry to have to inform the president and his minions, this jobs report was not a direct reflection of Trump's decision-making and policies. As a matter of fact, it had about as much to do with that as heroin has in increasing 9-to-5 job efficiency. Donald Trump and his supporters either can't remember anything past 5 seconds ago, are incredibly stupid, or a combination of the two. The unemployment rate was 4.7% when Donald Trump took over the reigns. With the UE rate now being at 3.8%, that's a 19.15% decrease. At the height of the recession, while Barack Obama was in office, the unemployment rate was at an astounding 10.0%. So, as the UE rate was 4.7% when Trump stepped into ...

After promising to bring back jobs in the coal-mining industry, jobs which have been on the decline for the past three decades, President Donald Trump continued his push forward by turning to the past by saying he was also going to bring back VCR-related jobs, jobs which have pretty much gone the way of the Dodo bird. In his nationally televised speech on Wednesday night, Trump said the following: "When I said I was going to bring back jobs that don't exist anymore and make America great again, I meant every word of that, believe me! I already told coal miners about the invisible jobs I'll be giving them. In a week or two, I'll be telling the world about my plan to bring back telegraph jobs. It's gonna be terrific, just fantastic, people! Today, though, I'm gonna tell you about a new, a new old industry I'm gonna bring back. Not only will we have coal-mining and telegraph-type jobs again, but I'm bringing back VCR jobs! I'm not sure anyone owns th...

Living in the state of Ohio and supporting marijuana legalization, especially for medical purposes (but also recreational), I voted no on 2 and yes on 3 yesterday to accomplish this. While I wasn't too terribly surprised issue 3 (to legalize marijuana) didn't pass, I was slightly disappointed. I think I was mainly disappointed because I know many fellow progressives voted against the measure due to not wanting marijuana monopolized in the state, and if they had all voted like I did, I think the measure would have had a shot at passing. I can understand perfectly well why so many progressives voted against issue 3. For the very same reason, I struggled with making my final decision on the matter. However, when thinking things through, while I wasn't thrilled with the writing of the law and the monopoly, I felt there were many more potential benefits than hindrances contained within it, and no matter how small it might have been, it was a step in the right direction (also, ...

If the GOP and majority of talking heads in the media (especially of the cable-news variety) could have earned a degree in taking-quotes-out-of-context, they would have passed with flying colors. Arguably the two worst such occasions over the past couple of years were the following: 1) GOP's version of a Barack Obama quote: "If you've got a business - you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen." The full quote: "There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me - because they want to give something back. They know they didn't - look, if you've been successful, you didn't get there on your own. I'm always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. Thee area a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something - there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. If you were successful, somebody along the line gav...

It kind of cracks me up to hear so many far-right conservatives say something along the following lines in the run up to the midterm elections: "We just want to leave a better life for our kids and future generations than we were left with, and we'll do everything in our power to achieve that." Say what? The GOP seriously wants us to believe they care about future generations? Based on their voting records and talking points, this is how such ads should probably run: "We just want to leave a better life for our kids and future generations than we were left with, and we'll do everything in our power to achieve that. From not taking action on global warming and leaving future generations more apt to being victims of severe flooding and other disastrous weather, to not passing more gun restrictions to lessen the chance of firearms getting into the hands of dangerous individuals, it's really all about keeping the kids safe in their future. From decreasing fu...

A recent report released by the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) with regard to the Affordable Care Act has prompted Republicans to find the nearest right-wing reporter and many members of the media to catch the public's attention through misleading headlines. This is because the CBO declared that due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 2 million less people will be working. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor took that information to make the following statement: "The CBO's latest report confirms what Republicans have been saying for years now. Under Obamacare, millions of hardworking Americans will lose their jobs and those who keep them will see their hours and wages reduced." However, that's not what the CBO actually stated in their report. The report actually said this: "The estimated reduction stems almost entirely from a net decline in the amount of labor that workers choose to supply, rather than from a net drop in business' demand for labo...

It seems that politicians affiliated with the Tea Party think the government is evil, aren't coy about saying this, and do everything in their power to shutdown the government, which they just did. I've always found this to be a tad odd. First off, why would someone seek a position with a group he or she didn't believe in? Secondly, if this person was hired, why would he or she do everything in their power to shut it down? Can you imagine people in other professions holding a similar philosophy? If these individuals were to earn their job through a vote, I imagine their ads would go as follows: Position: Teacher "I'm going to be frank - I don't believe in public education. I never did, as a matter of fact. It's actually my goal to get education abolished entirely. We simply don't need it. The only things we need to learn are from our parents and our Lord Jesus Christ. So, please keep that in mind this next Tuesday when you make your vote, and vote f...

So, Tim Tebow got cut by the New England Patriots over the holiday weekend. Do I care? No, not really. However, it was one of the top stories around the sports world - especially over at ESPN, whom seem to have a permanent hard-on for Mr. Tebow. Here are some of the recent headlines concerning Tebow: "Robert Kraft 'very much wanted' Tim Tebow to make Patriots" - Okay, good for him... "Kraft, Brady discuss Tebow's exit" - Really? There's nothing more to talk about? Like the fact the season will be starting this week? "Could Tebow rejoin Pats this season?" - Sure, as a 3rd-string quarterback, a backup tight end, or a motivational speaker if the team starts the season at 3-7. "Could Tim Tebow return to Patriots? Belichick won't say no" - Just like when a crush tries to politely turn a guy down by not telling him no and just ignoring him all together. Yeah, that's sweet... "The Bills have multiple r...

I've seen a movie trailer over the past couple days which has perplexed me and made me a little queasy. Surprisingly, it's a film about Apple CEO Steve Jobs, entitled jOBS . Why have I been so puzzled and nauseated when seeing the preview for this very film? The man playing the part of Steve Jobs is none other than Two and a Half Men 's own Ashton Kutcher. This is the 21st film Kutcher has been a part of, and based on the reviews thus far for his most recent picture, Kutcher's best showing among critics were the films No Strings Attached and Open Season (animated), which were approved by 48% of them. That's right - through 21 films (thus far, as not all of the reviews have come in for jOBS ), an Ashton Kutcher movie has yet to finish at or above 50% approval from film critics. Over half his films (12 of 21) were approved by 25% or less of critics. Why in the world was Ashton Kutcher selected for the role of Steve Jobs? It befuddles me beyond all belief. Sure, th...

According to a new study released by PayScale, the gender-wage gap is a myth. Also, due to these supposed findings, 97.2% of conservative males got erections. This PayScale study claims that men and women get paid about the same for the same kind of jobs. According to this study, women earn 98% of what men earn in non-managerial positions and 91% of what men earn in executive positions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census data has long reported that women earn between 77 and 80% of what men do. With a disparity of approximately 20%, what gives? As was reported along with the PayScale "findings" was this bit of information: "It's possible that PayScale's findings differ from other conclusions because its study is based on people who choose to report their information to the site, as opposed to the Census and BLS, which have a broader reach." That's right. The study's "findings" were based solely on people whom "chose...

As most of the country (and world) should know by now, if there's one person a Republican politician shouldn't mirror as far as speech-giving goes, it's former President George W. Bush. The guy has had more jokes told about his speech-gaffes than Snoop Dogg has smoked joints. Well, Mitt Romney recently attempted to go against that common wisdom and become one with his innermost Bush while speaking at the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) this past Friday. On February 4th of 2005, when speaking to a divorced mother of three in Omaha, Nebraska, former President Bush said this - "You work three jobs? ... Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that." Yes, I cringed while reading that also... As noted, Romney gave his best Bush impersonation by saying the following at CPAC on Friday: "Single moms who are working two jobs so their kids can have the same kind of [things] other kids at school have. Dads ...

The media in general, especially the sports media, is doing everything in its power to rid themselves of any responsibility with regard to the Manti Te'o story. On Thursday, Te'o's interview with Katie Couric will air, where the former Notre Dame linebacker admits to briefly lying about his "girlfriend." He had been informed that she died of leukemia in September, but received a strange phone call on December 6th from "her" (supposedly). While he allegedly informed family and the school about the call, he lied a couple days later at the Heisman Trophy ceremony when asked about her. I'm not going to say that lying about it was morally right. However, what was the guy supposed to do? Here's a 21-year old college kid - one of the finalists for the most coveted award in all of college football - who thought his "girlfriend" had died of leukemia two months prior, only to be called by this "girlfriend" two days before the ceremony...

It's been a rough couple days for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney when it comes to receiving harsh criticism from some unlikely places. A piece was released by the New York Times yesterday, where Walter De Vries - a longtime aide of Mitt's father, George Romney - criticized Mitt for multiple things, in particular his flip-flopping, and even went on to say he'd be voting for Barack Obama in November. Today, former Ronald Reagan budget director David Stockman had an op-ed published in The Daily Beast , where he, like De Vries, criticized Mitt Romney. In the op-ed entitled "Mitt Romney: The Great Deformer," the former Reagan budget director said, "Mitt Romney was not a businessman. He was a master financial speculator who bought, sold, flipped, and stripped businesses." He also stated, "Bain's billions of profits were not rewards for capitalist creation; they were mainly windfalls collected from gambling in markets that were rigge...

No, I can't say I feel sorry for the guy, but it seems as if nothing is going right for Mitt Romney anymore. Let's look at a list of Romney arguments: 1) Taxes - the public favors the Obama plan of raising taxes on the top income-earners 2) Medicare - the public doesn't care for the Romney/Ryan plan 3) Are we better off than we were 4 years ago? - If we're being literal, then yes. 4) Jobs aren't there - We've seen a net positive in job creation for 23 consecutive months and that's where the most recent bit of news comes along... The Labor Department revised an earlier estimate that total non-farm payrolls were at 133.300 million in August and altered that to 133.686 million. When the President's first term began in January of '09, that number was at 133.561 million. In other words, with that revision in the estimates, Obama went from losing a total of 261,000 jobs in his four years thus far to creating 125,000 of them. Romney had better...

For the past few weeks, the majority of leaders in the Republican Party have spoken out against Democrats' charges that the GOP is waging a war on women. Likely republican nominee, Mitt Romney, has now attempted to turn the tables on the matter, recently stating that the real war on women has been waged by President Obama. More specifically, he said, "Women account for 92.3% of the jobs lost under Obama." Of course, there's a lot more to this story and number than Romney is telling his listeners.  First off, fact-checking site Politifact.com graded Romney's statement as "mostly false," stating that "...The numbers are accurate but quite misleading. First, Obama cannot be held entirely accountable for the employment picture on the day he took office, just as he could not be given credit if times had been booming. Second, by choosing figures from January 2009, months into the recession, the statement ignored the millions of jobs lost before then, whe...

Okay, let me start this blog by saying I am a registered Democrat, voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 election and would classify myself as liberal (If 1 = very conservative, 2 = conservative, 3 = middle of the road, 4 = liberal and 5 = very liberal, including decimals, I'd place myself at a 4.0). Having said that, both parties have driven me a bit mad the past few months. I even wrote a poem dedicated to them, which I entitled "Middle School," because to me, that's how Congress is acting, like middle schoolers. Let's point, laugh and tease, spread false rumor to make another look bad and make you look better in the process. Let's not follow through with what we said we'd do. Let's not be very productive. Let's form cliques and leave certain people and their ideas out of the mix. Like I said, middle school. Due to this lack of maturity and perhaps also due to President Obama's sometimes lack of being adamant, Washington has been about as produc...